College leaders seek community collaboration in renovated gym

Alumni leaders of the revived Antioch College presented their plans for a college/community wellness center at a public meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 26. About 50 people attended the gathering in Herdon Gallery.

“We’re talking about a greatly enhanced resource,” said alum and preservation specialist John Feinberg regarding the Curl gym and pool, which leaders want to upgrade to a state-of-the-art wellness center that benefits both the college and the community.

Architect Dean Brookie displayed the floor plan of the envisioned facility, which he said grew from many discussions with villagers regarding their needs and desires in a wellness center. The college has already invested about $120,00 in the gym, which was shuttered when the campus was closed for a year. Since the college re-opened a year ago, leaders have repaired the roof and drainage, among other projects.

The new center would cost about $3.5 million, and would include a variety of new elements, including a climbing wall, enhanced cardio equipment, state-of-the-art gym equipment, a regulation-size pool and splash pool for children, a birthday room and rooms for a variety of classes, among other components. Leaders hope to raise the funds for the project from both alumni and also community members. To be financially viable, community members who use the facilities would need to become members; membership for a family would be about $900 a year, and for individuals, $540. Senior membership would cost about $420.

At the Oct. 26 meeting, leaders emphasized that they want to know what the community wants. To give feedback to Mr. Brookie, e-mail him at [email protected]

A more detailed story on the proposed wellness center is in the Nov. 4 Yellow Springs News.

Click on the images of the floor plans below to view a larger version.